Trolley-wheel.



PATENTED FEB. 17, 1903..

. T. MQWILLIAMS.

TROLLEY WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED A1 3. 12, 1902.

.30 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTBD FEB. 17, 1903.

I T. MoWILLIAMS.

TROLLEY- WHEEL.

APPLIOATIOF FILED A23. 12, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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30 MODEL lgazgior',

mi NORRIS was on. muvoumci. wnumamu o c UNITED STATES ATENT FFi'C'THOMAS MCWILLIAMS, OF KINGS PARK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNJ. CUSICK, OF KINGS PARK, NEW YORK.

TROLLEY-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,612, dated February17,4903.

Application filed April 12, 1902- Serial No. 102,621. (No model.)

T (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MOWILLIAMs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Kings Park, (Long Island,)in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new anduseful Trolley-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in trolley-wheels, and hasfor its prinl0 cipal object to provide an improved form of sectionaltrolley-wheel in which the parts may be readily assembled ordisassembled for the purpose of renewing that portion of the peripheryof the wheel which makes contact with the current-conducting wire.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means forsecuring the sections of the wheel together, so that they may be firmlyheld without the employment of auxiliary bolts and nuts.

A still further object is to provide a Wheel of a self-lubricatingnature, the hub portion of the wheel being provided with anoil-reservoir of a size suffioient to contain all the lubricant requiredduring the life of the removable wearing-ring.

A still further object of the invention is to so construct the sideflanges or guiding members that any Wear which may occur in theseportions of the wheel will not in any manner interfere with the properfitting of a new wear-ring or impair the efficiency of the wheel as awhole.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of atrolley-wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion ofthe inner bushing being broken away in order to more clearly illustratethe connection between the parts. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the wheelillustrated being of simple construction and without thelubricant-reservoir shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation ofa modified construction of the wheel, showing a bayonet-joint fastening.Fig. 4 illustrates details of the construction of wheel shown in Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective view of a further form of wheelembodying the invention, the parts in this instance being connectedtogether by interengaging screw-threads. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevationof the hub portion of a wheel, illustrating a modified arrangement ofthe oil reservoir. Fig. 7 illustrates a further modification of thewheel. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a form of bushing whichmay be employed in a self-lubricating wheel.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The trolley-wheels in ordinary use for overhead electric roads areformed of a single piece of brass casting and being of comparativelysmall diameter soon become worn from contact with the current-conductingwire, the groove being out down to such an extent that the peripheralflanges often make contact with the cross-wires used to support thecurrent-conductor. When thewheelisthusworn, it must be discarded andreplaced by a new one. In order to avoid the expense incurred in theconstant employment of entire wheels,

I have devised a sectional wheel in which the portion making contactwith the cu rrent-conducting wire is in the form ofa readily-removablering, which may be replaced at very small expense.

Referring to the drawings, 5 and 6 represent the side disks of thetrolley-wheel, having outwardly-flaring flanges 7, which serve to guidethe wheel and keep the central grooved portion of the periphery incontact with the trolley-wire. In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1the disk member 5 has an enlarged hub portion 8 and is provided with alaterally-extending integral sleeve or flange 9. The cup member 6 isprovided with a hub 10 and has an integral flange 11, the inner end ofwhich bears against the adjacent face of the disk 5 and is properlysupported by an annular flange or shoulder 12. The inner face of eachside disk is recessed to form an annular flange or shoulder 14 of awidth sufficient to withstand wear from occasional contact with the sideof the currentconducting wire. Between the two disks is placed awearing-ring 15, the inner surface ICO of the ring fitting snugly on theflange l1 and its sides extending within the recesses formed in theinner faces of the disk. During the manufacturing of the ring itsperiphery is slightly coucaved, as shown, in order to receive thecurrent-conducting wire and prevent any undue contact of the disks withthe sides of the wire. The space between the sleeves or flanges 9 and 11is filled with a suitable lubricant 16, which may be in the form of anoil or grease or a filling of sponge or Waste saturated with oil, theinner sleeve or flange 9 being perforated in any suitable manner topermit the passage of the lubricant. In the inner surface of the sleeveor flange 9 and the adjacent portion of the hub 10 are formed T-shapedslots 17 for the reception of an H-shaped locking-key 18, which servesto prevent independent rotative or 1ongitudinal movement of the disks.When the three members of the wheel have been assembled and thelubricant introduced, they are locked together by the key 18, and asuitable perforated bushing 19 is then driven in in order to hold thekey in place and to form a smooth bearing member for the wheel. With awheel constructed in this manner a worn ring 15 can be readily removedand a new wearing-ring put in its place at but slight expense. The disksor flange members 5 and 6 will last for an indefinite period and arediscarded only when the shoulders 14 are worn away from contact with thesides of the trolley-wire, such wearing occurring only on roads having alarge number of curves or where the trolley-wire is not arrangeddirectly above the center of the trafflc-rails.

The construction may be simplified to some extent by reducing thediameter of the flange 11, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the flange in thiscase fitting directly on the periphery of the collar 9 and affording astronger support for the wearing-ring and at the same time permittingthe employment of a thicker and heavier wearing-ring in a Wheel of thesame diameter. In this case, however, the omission of thelubricant-reservoir makes it necessary to oil the bearing-surfaces byhand.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the sleeve or flange 9 is providedwith a projecting lug 22 and a short slot 23, the lug 22 being adaptedto fit in an L-shaped flange in the sleeve 11, the construction beingsimilar to that of the ordinary bayonet-joint and forming a means forreadily uniting or separating the disk member. When the parts of thewheel shown in Fig. 3 are assembled, a locking-key is inserted through akeyway 25 in the hub 10, the end of the key projecting into the slot 23and locking the two members together in such manner as to preventindependent circumferential movement,while lateral play is prevented bythe engagement of the lug 22 in the segmental portion of thereceiving-slot 24.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the disk member 5 is provided withan inwardlyprojecting flange 31, having a reduced bayonet portion 32 forthe reception of internal threads formed in a flange 33 on the innerside of the disk member 6. The internal diameter of the flange 31 isgreater than the external diameter of the bushing 19 and the hubportions of the disks, thus forming a lubricant-reservoir which may befilled before the bushing is fully in place. As the inwardly-projectingflange 33 comes into contact with the shoulder of the flange 31 at apoint about midway of the wheel, a wearingring 15, having a convexedinner face, may be employed, the increased thickness of the ring addingto the durability and strength of the structure.

Fig. 6 illustrates a further modification, in which the bushing 19 isformed in two separated sections, the space between said sectionsforming a reservoir in which graphite or an oil-saturated sponge orpiece of waste may be placed. A construction of this kind is especiallyuseful in connection with a wheel of the character shown in Fig. 2, al-

though it may be employed in connection with any of the various forms ofwheels shown in the other figures of the drawings.

Fig. 7 illustrates a further modification of the invention, combiningthe features of'construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5. In thisconstruction the collar 9 is perforated,and the two disk members areprovided with flanges 41, having inter-engaging screw-threads. Theoil-reservoir 16 is disposed between the collar 9 and the inner of thetwo threaded flanges.

The bushing 19 may be of any ordinary construction and is provided withperforations or openings of any desired size or contour to permit thepassage of lubricant to the spindle 0r shaft on which the wheel issupported.

The device is susceptible of various other modifications, and while theconstruction herein described,and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings is the preferred form it is obvious that various changes in theform, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be madewithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationin a trolley-wheel, of the disk members having inwardly-projectingannular flanges and provided with recesses in their adjacent innerfaces, a peripherallygrooved wear-ring carried by the flanges and seatedwithin the recesses, means for locking the two sections to each other,and a bushing for holding such locking means in position, substantiallyas specified.

2. A trolley-wheel comprising in' combination, a pair of recessed diskshaving inwardlyprojecting annular flanges arranged to form anoil-reservoir, the inner flange being perforated for the passage of oilfrom the reservoir, a peripherally-grooved wear-ring seated within therecesses of the disks and supported by the outer of the annular flanges,a key for locking the disks to each other, and a bushing serving tosupport said key in locking position, substantially as specified.

3. A trolley-Wheel comprising in combination, a pair of disks havingannular recesses in their adjacent inner faces, hubs forming part ofsaid disks, a tubular sleeve 9 carried by one of said disks and providedwith a T-shaped slot and the adjacent hub of the opposite disk beingprovided with a similar slot, a flange forming part of said oppositedisk and adapted for contact with the sleevemy own I have hereto affixedmy signature in 20 the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS MOWILLIAMS.

WVitnesses:

JOHN F. KELLY, JOHN J. OUsIoK.

